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Ngati Haua will today open its archives to mark the centenary of a Maori parliament hosted by the central Waikato iwi.
The exhibition at Rukumoana Marae near Morrinsville will feature a selection of archival manuscripts and photographs created by members of parliament, correspondence with the New Zealand government and excerpts from the Kingitanga newspaper, Te Paki o Matariki.
Kauhanganui Charitable Trust chair Barbara Moke says the model the ancestors used for achieving Maori sovereignty are a great example for Maori today, especially with the election looming.
Te Kauhanganui started in Maungakawa in 1891 before shifting to Kutia near Waharoa and then to Rukumoana, where a parliament building was opened on September 14, 1917.
It was to be the main Maori and Kingitanga venue for discussing issues relating to politics, sovereignty and land ownership up until the late 1930s, with members coming from tribes throughout the country.
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